Patellar Tendinopathy in Athletes

Sonographic Assessment of Asymptomatic Patellar and Achilles Tendons to Predict Future Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Patients with clinical tendinopathy often demonstrate significant abnormalities with ultrasound (US) imaging. Tendon abnormalities likely precede pain in these patients. The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate the available literature regarding the utility of US imaging as a method to predict Achilles and patellar tendon pain.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis. Inclusion criteria were as follows: prospective studies of Achilles and patellar tendon pain development with baseline US measurements, follow-up clinical measurements, and English-language studies published after 2000. Exclusion criteria were prior rupture or surgery and presence of rheumatologic disorder.

SETTING

N/A.

PATIENTS

Athletes without Achilles or patellar tendon pain at baseline.

INTERVENTIONS

N/A.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Risk ratios (RRs) were identified for the development of pain in those with Achilles or patellar tendon sonographic abnormalities.

RESULTS

This review of 16 studies included 810 Achilles and 1156 patellar tendons from a variety of sports and demonstrated that the RR for pain development from abnormal Patellar and Achilles tendons was 6.07 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.88-12.81; P < 0.001] and 3.96 [95% CI, 2.21-7.09; P < 0.001], respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of an abnormal US finding were 27.2% and 92.0% for the Achilles tendon and 27.2% and 93.5% for the patellar tendon, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis identified that the use of asymptomatic US scanning of the Achilles or patellar tendon has a low positive predictive value but a high negative predictive value for the future development of pain.

Evidence of Widespread Mechanical Hyperalgesia but Not Exercise-Induced Analgesia in Athletes With Mild Patellar Tendinopathy Compared With Pain-Free Matched Controls: A Blinded Exploratory Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to assess centrally induced pain processing with pressure pain thresholds bilaterally and remotely in active volleyball and basketball athletes with mild patellar tendinopathy compared with asymptomatic control athletes. Secondary objective was to explore the role of exercise-induced analgesia during a training session in athletes with patellar tendinopathy.

DESIGN

In this exploratory study, pressure pain thresholds of 21 patellar tendinopathy athletes and 16 age- and sex-matched asymptomatic team members were measured by a blinded assessor bilaterally on the patellar tendon and unilaterally on the elbow extensor tendon with a pressure algometer before, during, and after a regular training session.

RESULTS

Patellar tendinopathy athletes had a significantly higher average body mass index compared with asymptomatic athletes (mean difference 1.75 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval = 0.35-3.15, P = 0.02). At baseline, athletes with patellar tendinopathy showed lowered pressure pain thresholds in the affected knee (P = 0.001), unaffected knee (P < 0.001), and elbow (P = 0.01) compared with controls. No clear patterns were identified to explain between-group differences in pressure pain thresholds before, during, and after exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

This exploratory study found primary and secondary mechanical hyperalgesia in athletes with patellar tendinopathy compared with asymptomatic athletes. Further research is required on the effects of an acute exercise bout on pain thresholds in this population.

Injection therapies for patellar tendinopathy

Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper's knee is a common musculoskeletal condition characterized by progressive activity-related pain on the anterior aspect of the knee and tenderness on the patellar tendon. A conservative method is often the first choice of treatment, which can include anti-inflammatory medication, injection therapies, physiotherapy, eccentric exercises, extra corporeal shock wave therapy, orthosis, etc. Although there are several treatment options available, the management of patellar tendinopathy is still controversial. The literature reveals many different injection methods are being used by clinicians for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy. Platelet rich plasma, corticosteroids, autologous blood, and aprotinin are the most commonly used injection treatments. Injection therapies give promising results in the management of Patellar tendinopathy. However, due to low quality research and variation in the protocol and population it is difficult to provide a firm conclusion on its effectiveness. More high-quality clinical studies are recommended to determine the effectiveness of injections and at which stage of Patellar tendinopathy they are the most effective. This review can provide insight to clinicians involved in the management of this condition.